Rosa Lee Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African American seamstress and figure in the American Civil Rights Movement, most famous for her refusal in 1955 to give up a bus seat to a white man when ordered to do so by the bus driver. She is remembered as an ordinary person who took a brave stand that provoked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her role in American history earned her an iconic legacy in American culture and worldwide civil rights movements.

Early life

Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, daughter of James and Leona McCauley. She grew up on a farm with her Methodist grandparents, mother, and brother. She worked as a seamstress making bed sheets.

In 1932, she married Raymond Parks, who was active in civil rights causes. In the 1940s, Mr and Mrs Parks were members of the Voters’ League.
In December 1943, Parks became active in the American Civil Rights Movement and acted as secretary for the Montgomery, Alabama branch of the NAACP. Of her position she said, “I was the only woman there, and they needed a secretary, and I was too timid to say no.” She continued as secretary until 1957 when she left Montgomery. Just six months before her arrest, she had attended the Highlander Folk School, an education center for workers’ rights and racial equality. Some accounts portray her as an individual with no particular political background or training